Antique French Dressers
French Dressers
A fine Charles II period small antique French dresser, c.1670. The drawers illustrate the geometrical mouldings found on chests of the period the swan-neck handles are a replacement and simple pear-drops or pulls would have been more likely. The legs show a fine example of Restoration turning with inverted cup and baluster forms. Although the legs finish square in section as though to take stretchers, these were not originally fitted. The top edge surface shows a simple thumb nail moulding and the cornice beneath shows a fine bold concave form.
Another fine larger oak French dresser of c.1680. The drawers show the same form as the previous example, with mitred decorative mouldings, but applied split baluster forms decorate the frame at the sides and between them. The legs show fine column turning of the same form as our gate-leg table illustrated in that section. Again the legs are squared above the turned feet as though to take stretcher joints, but in fact stretchers are only fitted at the side.
A fruitwood French dresser of c.1720 date. The drawers show a simpler form of the earlier moulded panels but the top edge mouldings retain the same form. The cupboard door panels are also moulded with mock drawer fronts in the top half to retain proportion.
A rather more countrified French dresser of c.1720, showing very simple leg turning. The shaped apron with projecting lip moulding follows that of side table styles of the period. The drawer fronts are very simple but there is a form of cock-bead around them on the frame. The top edge has a simple thumb-nail moulding.
Price Range: 140 160
An oak French dresser of c.1725 with upper shelves. The top cornice has an ogee moulding and shaped frieze beneath. The door panels are fielded and shaped, with the solid panel between them repeating this form. The drawers are simple, with no moulding, but the frame around them and the cupboard doors show a simple moulded edge. Note the panelled side to the lower section.
An oak French dresser of c.1725 also, but without the upper structure. The cupboard doors are again fielded and shaped. There is also the same moulded edge form on the frame around doors and drawers. The latter are simple; the handles are not original. Note that the sides are panelled; a form found on chests of drawers of the previous century.
A much simpler and cruder oak French dresser of c1730, with simple single cupboard doors. There is a simple thumb-nail moulding round the top edge and the frame also has a simple moulding around drawers and panel edges.
An oak French dresser of c.1750 period on cabriole legs. The upper part is fitted with three spice drawers, which adds to value. The top edge moulding is rather more sophisticated and the drawers have an ovolo lip moulding around the edge to lap over the carcase frame. The cabriole legs are well shaped ending in a pad foot.
An oak French dresser of c.1750. The top cornice shows a dentillated section in the moulding with a shaped frieze beneath. The side cupboard doors are panelled and moulded. The drawers are cock-beaded and the
swan-neck handles are possibly original. The shaped apron repeats the curves of the top frieze. It is interesting to note the C scroll behind the knee on the cabriole legs a sign of quality coming from cabrioles of the Queen Anne period.
A cupboarded oak French dresser of c.1760, with fielded panels in doors and drawers. The cupboards on either side of the upper structure have a spice drawer beneath. The whole form of construction dates from a much earlier period, showing how country craftsmen retained these methods long after they were superseded elsewhere.
A later eighteenth century oak French dresser, of c.1′790, with drawers cross-banded in mahogany. The top cornice is well moulded and the row of spice drawers in the upper section adds greatly to value. The cross-banded drawers are cock-beaded and it can be seen that small drawers have been let into the frieze. The ‘gallery’ beneath with its useful floor-level shelf was used for larger kitchen utensils and pots.
Spice drawers
Original handles
A Welsh oak antiqueFrench dresser of last quarter of the eighteenth century. Note that the drawers are cock-beaded and that the shaped central apron reflects a form of much earlier origin. The apron is also cock-beaded like some Queen Anne forms. The panelled or boarded-in back gives a heavier appearance and it is well to remember that many may have had this removed.
Tags: apron, cupboard, cupboard doors, drawer, drawer fronts, drawers, dresser, DRESSERS, French, fruitwood, price, Restoration